Michigan State University Libraries - Criminal Justice Resources

Criminal Justice Resources :
Gangs

This compilation of resources focuses mostly on youth gangs. For more information about adult gangs, gangsters, and international gangs, look under Organized Crime.

A gang is a group of individuals who share a common identity and, in current usage, engage in illegal activities. Most commonly, the word "gang" refers to street gangs (a.k.a. youth gangs), groups who take over territory ("turf") in a particular city, sometimes simply for lack of something better to do, and are often involved in "providing protection" (in fact, a thin cover for extortion), or in other criminal activity. Since roughly the 1970s, street gangs have been strongly connected with drug sales (especially crack cocaine). Gangs have been known to claim colors such as red or blue, a trend that started as far back as the late 18th century and early 19th century with Mexican bandits and roving marauders in what would later become the Southwest/Western United States. (In the United States, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, "gang colors" can refer to the entire design of a gang jacket.) Visit the Gang entry from the Wikipedia for more information.

Once an urban problem, street gangs have now infiltrated U.S. communities large and small. Gang experts say at least 21,500 gangs — with more than 731,000 members — are active nationwide. Long-established domestic gangs like the Bloods and the Crips remain powerful, but the problem has worsened dramatically in recent years. Heavy immigration, particularly from Latin America and Asia, has introduced highly violent gangs like Mara Salvatrucha and the Almighty Latin Kings Nation. Bound by tight ethnic and racial ties, they often stymie police investigations by assaulting or killing potential witnesses. Having already diversified from illegal drugs into auto theft, extortion, property crimes and home invasion, some East Coast gangs have begun trafficking in fraudulent identification papers that could be used by terrorists. While experts agree gangs are more pervasive than ever, few agree on a remedy. Proposed legislation would increase penalties for gang membership and gang crimes, but critics say it won't solve the problem. Source: William Triplett, Gang Crisis: Do Police and Politicians Have a Solution?, CQ Researcher, Vol. 14, no. 18, May 14, 2004. Type in title in quick search box to retrieve.

"Just months after the Supreme Court struck down federal sentencing formulas, the House is moving to institute new mandatory minimum sentences, beginning with a sweeping bill to fight street gangs," the New York Times reports. "The bill, which the House is expected to approve" today, "would greatly increase federal penalties for gang-related crimes." Source: David D. Kirkpatrick, "Congress Rekindles Battle on Mandatory Sentences", New York Times, May 11, 2005.

8 Ball Chicks (Book Review)
http://www.salon.com/sneaks/sneakpeeks970131.html
Book available in the MSU Main Library
A Year in the Violent World of Girl Gangsters by Gini Sikes.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

18th Street : California's Most Violent Export
http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/18th%20Street.htm
Article by Investigator Al Valdez, Orange County District Attorney's Office, courtesy of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators' Associations.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Addressing Community Gang Problems: A Model for Problem Solving
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/156059.txt
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/156059.pdf
Provides a prototype to assist communities in identifying, analyzing, and responding to gang-related problems as well as assessing the effectiveness of their responses. Published in 1997. 41pp.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Addressing Community Gang Problems: A Practical Guide
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/164273.txt
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/164273.pdf
Provides guidelines for agencies and community groups to develop individualized responses to local gang problems. This practical manual provides a foundation for understanding the diverse nature of gangs, the problems they pose and the harm they cause, and provides two analytical models for addressing gang-related problems. Published in 1998. 215pp.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Adolescent Homicides in Los Angeles: Are They Different From Other Homicides? Summary
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/AdolescentHomicidesinLosAngelesSummary.pdf
National Institute of Justice(NIJ)/Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), April 2002. Summarizes the findings of an assessment of comparable samples of adolescent homicides and adult homicides in Los Angeles, concluding that gang factors loom large in the distinction between adolescent and other homicides.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Alcohol and Violence in the Lives of Gang Members
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/AlcoholandViolenceLivesGangMembers.pdf
http://web.archive.org/web/20030430034730/
http://ericcass.uncg.edu/virtuallib/gangs/alcoholandviolence.pdf
Life within a gang includes two endemic features: violence and alcohol. Yet, to date, most researchers studying gang behavior have focused on violence and its relationship to illicit drugs, largely neglecting the importance of alcohol in gang life. Because alcohol is an integral and regular part of socializing within gang life, drinking works as a social lubricant, or social glue, to maintain not only the cohesion and social solidarity of the gang, but also to affirm masculinity and male togetherness. In addition to its role as a cohesive mechanism, particular drinking styles within gangs may operate, as with other social groups, as a mechanism to maintain group boundaries, thereby demarcating one gang from another. Other examples of internal gang violent activities associated with drinking include fighting between members because of rivalries, tensions, or notions of honor or respect. At a more symbolic level, drinking is associated with two important ritual events in gang life: initiation, or "jumping in," and funerals. By better understanding the link between drinking and violence among youth gangs, steps can be taken to determine the social processes that occur in the development of violent behavior after drinking. Geoffrey P. Hunt, Ph.D. & Karen Joe Laidler, Ph.D., Alcohol and Violence, Vol. 25, No. 1, 2001, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Almighty Latin King Nation
http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/Almighty%20Latin%20Kings.htm
Article by Detective Wes Daily, Jr., Suffolk County Police Department, courtesy of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators' Associations.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

America's Most Dangerous Gang
http://www.policemag.com/t_cipick.cfm?rank=90876
Police Magazine article about the increasing threat of the Mara Salvatrucha gang across the U.S.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Asian American Gangs
http://www.asian-nation.org/gangs.shtml
In recent years, the issue of Asian American youth gangs has gotten a lot of attention from the media and law enforcement. This phenomenon shares many similarities with other "gang problems" in the Black and Latino communities. However, certain ethnic and cultural aspects come into play with Asian gangs that make their situation and consequences of their actions unique. A chapter from Asian-Nation : The Landscape of Asian America.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Asian Youth Gangs:
Basic Issues for Educators
http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/Asian%20Youth%20Gangs.htm
The problems presented to schools by Asian gang-involved youth are neither overwhelming nor insurmountable. Facing the problem of any type of gang activity requires administrative foresight and commitment to peaceful problem prevention and resolution. Article by Donald W. Kodluboy posted by the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Assessment of Multi-Agent Approach to Drug Involved Gang Members
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/AssessmentMultiAgentAppDrugInvolvedGang1996.pdf
National Institute of Justice (NIJ), November 2000. This research assesses the efficacy of a multi-agency project charged with reducing gang crime, specifically drug offenses.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Bigotry Behind Bars: Racist Groups in U.S. Prisons
http://www.adl.org/special_reports/racist_groups_in_prisons/prisons_intro.asp
Driven by a belief in their superiority, white supremacist prison gangs contribute to increased racial tensions and violence in American penitentiaries. Not only do their activities undermine prison security, but their extreme rhetoric and animosity toward other races often stay with gang members long after their release. Prison officials estimate that up to 10 percent of the nation's prison population is affiliated with gangs. Anti-Defamation League, 2001.
Also listed under Corrections.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Bomb and Arson Crimes Among American Gang Members: A Behavioral Science Profile
http://www.ngcrc.com/bombarso.html
Source: Fall 2001 Special Edition of the Journal of Gang Research focusing on Gangs and Terrorism.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Born to Kill: America's Most Notorious Vietnamese Gang, and the Changing Face of Organized Crime.
T. J. English. New York: William Morrow, 1995. Main Library Stacks HV6439.U5 E54 1995
Abstract: An account of the rise and fall of the Vietnamese "Born to Kill" gang operating out of Chinatown in New York City. Much of the story chronicles the experiences of one gang member who eventually decides to cooperate with the NYPD and ATF to help bring down the gang. Focuses not just on highlighting events, but on achieving a deeper, underlying understanding of the root causes of gang violence.

Breaking All the Rules : Hybrid Gangs
http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/Hybrid%20Gangs.htm
Street gangs that exist and continue to form in the Midwest and other parts of the country, sometimes display distinct differences from gangs in other cities that bear the same names. This sometimes causes confusion and frustration to law enforcement officials attempting to identify and counter their own local version of street gangs. Article by Sgt. Dave Starbuck, Kansas City Police Department, courtesy of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators' Associations.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

California Gang Investigators Association
http://www.cgiaonline.org/
The California Gang Investigator's Association was founded in 1977 to foster better relationships and networking among the various investigative units working street gangs in Los Angeles County and throughout the state of California. Over the years the Association has grown to include members across the nation and in Australia and Canada. Membership is limited to all law enforcement officers including corrections, prosecutors, parole, and probation. The web page also provides links to additional resources.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Causes of Juvenile Delinquency
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=11800
The September 2004 "Juvenile Justice" Journal (40 pp.) (NCJ 203555) features findings and policy implications from the Causes and Correlates studies and demonstrates how such longitudinal research contributes to crafting a strategic response to youth gang involvement. (OJJDP)
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment
http://www.usaid.gov/locations/latin_america_caribbean/democracy/gangs_assessment.pdf
“This 2005 study assessed the prevalence and threat of gangs in five countries–El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua–and recommends ways of dealing with gang problems in these countries.” U.S. Agency for International Development. Cataloged for Magic.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Chinatown Gangs (Book Review)
http://www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/lpbr/subpages/reviews/chin.htm
Book available in the MSU Main Library
In Chinatown Gangs, Ko-lin Chin penetrates a closed society and presents a rare portrait of the underworld of New York City's Chinatown. Based on first-hand accounts from gang members, gang victims, community leaders, and law enforcement authorities, this pioneering study reveals the pervasiveness, the muscle, the longevity, and the institutionalization of Chinatown gangs. Chin reveals the fear gangs instill in the Chinese community. At the same time, he shows how the economic viability of the community is sapped, and how gangs encourage lawlessness, making a mockery of law enforcement agencies. Book description by Oxford University Press.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Chinatown Gangs
http://web.archive.org/web/20041111091928/
http://gangresearch.net/ChicagoGangs/tongs/china.html
Gangs come in many different kinds. Chicago's Chinatown has long been home to a scattered assortment of youth gangs like those in other neigh-borhoods. Tongs and Triads however, have a long institutionalized history in Chicago. This page has links to original articles on Chicago Chinatown gangs as well as links to other sources. Courtesy of GangResearch.net. Still available thanks to the Internet Archive.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Comparing the Criminal Behavior of Youth Gangs and At-Risk Youth
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/172852.txt
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/172852.pdf
Youth gang-related crime has been growing for years, but little data existed about the extent and precise nature of crimes committed by gang members. This NIJ Research in Brief by C. Ronadl Huff, October 1998, presents a comparative study of the criminal behavior of gang members and nongang at-risk youths in three urban and suburban communities. The findings suggest gang membership increases the likelihood and frequency that members will commit serious and violent crimes.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Comprehensive Gang Model: Planning for Implementation
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/ComprehensiveGangModelImplementation.pdf
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), July 2002. Describes the model, and provides information on the data behind it, criteria for strategies to implement the model, developing an implementation plan, staffing, street outreach, evaluation, and lessons learned from five urban sites.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

A Comprehensive Response to America's Youth Gang Problem
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/fs-9640.pdf
OJJDP fact sheet number 40, March 1997.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Coroner's Report
http://www.gangwar.com/
Aimed at parents and educators, this site is an in-depth look at street gangs. Gang history, symbols, characteristics, and intervention and prevention resources and information are addressed. It is a searchable site written by an expert in gangs and includes excerpts from a monthly newsletter and an annotated list of links to other relevant sites. Courtesy of Steve Nawojczyk, former Pulaski County Coroner of Little Rock, Arkansas and currently Director of Youth Services, Mayor's Office, North Little Rock, Arkansas.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Criminal Behavior of Gang Members and At-Risk Youths
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/fs000190.txt
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/CriminalBehaviorofGangMembersandAtRiskOct1998.pdf
Gangs are one of today's most publicized criminal justice problems. In an effort to demonstrate the effect of gang involvement on criminal activity, the NIJ Research in Progress Preview, "Criminal Behavior of Gang Members and At-Risk Youths," examines the criminal activity of gang members and youths considered at risk to join gangs. The results of this study reveal dramatically higher rates of criminal activity for gang members than for at-risk youths, reinforcing the importance of keeping adolescents from becoming involved with gangs.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Crips and Bloods : African-American Street Gangs in Los Angeles
http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/Crips%20and%20Bloods.pdf
Surprisingly, little has been written about the historical significance of black gangs in Los Angeles (LA). Literature and firsthand interviews with Los Angeles residents seem to point to three significant periods relevant to the development of the contemporary black gangs. The first period, which followed WWII and significant black migrations from the South, is when the first major black clubs formed. After the Watts rebellion of 1965, the second period gave way to the civil rights period of Los Angeles where blacks, including those who where former club members who became politically active for the remainder of the 1960s. By the early 1970s black street gangs began to reemerge. By 1972, the Crips were firmly established and the Bloods were beginning to organize. This period saw the rise of LA’s newest gangs, which continued to grow during the 1970s, and later formed in several other cities throughout the United States by the 1990s. While black gangs do not make up the largest or most active gang population in Los Angeles today, their influence on street gang culture nationally has been profound. Article by Alejandro A. Alonso provided by the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations.
Also listed under Organized Crime.
(Last checked 06/01/07) Cultural Explanations for Vietnamese Youth Involvement in Street Gangs
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/180955.pdf
Examines gang involvement among Vietnamese American youth in Westminster, CA, and provides recommendations for the development of effective community-based programs to prevent gang membership and delinquency. Douglas R. Kent and George Felkenes, 1998. 97pp. NCJ 180955.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

"Designing Out" Gang Homicides and Street Assaults
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/173398.txt
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/173398.pdf
As a way of reducing gang violence, the Los Angeles Police Department used traffic barriers to block automobile access to streets in neighborhoods where gangs and accompanying gang violence had spiraled out of control. This NIJ Research in Brief by James Lasley (November 1998) discusses the results of an NIJ-sponsored evaluation of Operation Cul de Sac, as the program was called. The study found that homicide and aggravated assault rates fell and that these crimes were not displaced to other areas.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Developing A Gang Prevention Program: A Realistic and Distinctive Approach
http://web.archive.org/web/20021017101809/
http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu/monographs/uds107_prevention.html
Good resource on various strategies schools should consider implementing to effectively reduce and prevent gang problems. Details various operations, behaviour and engagement strategies. Still available thanks to the Internet Archive.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

The Dream Shattered: Vietnamese Gangs in America. (Book)
Patrick Du Phuoc Long and Laura Ricard. Boston, MA: Northeastern University Press, 1996. Main Library Stacks HV6439.U5 D8 1996
A counselor to Indochinese children in juvenile correctional and rehabilitation facilities offers his analysis of the causes and consequences of the Vietnamese gang culture in America. Gleaning information from cases of hundreds of children, he seeks to explain why so many Indochinese turn to gang life and crime.

Dreams, Gangs, and Guns : The Interplay Between Adolescent Violence and Immigration in a New York City Neighborhood
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/DreamsGangsandGunsTheInterplayBetweenAdolescent.pdf
National Institute of Justice (NIJ), April 2002. The results of this study is the conclusion of ethnographic research of a neighborhood in NYC which showed that the generation gap between immigrant children and their parents caused them to rely on violent peer groups for protection.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Early Precursors of Gang Membership: A Study of Seattle Youth
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/190106.pdf
Karl G. Hill, Christina Lui, and J. David Hawkins. Dec. 2001. 6pp.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

East Coast Mexican Gangs
http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/Other%20Hispanic%20Gangs.htm
Mexican gangs have been forming in the United States for over 100 years. On the East Coast, however, Mexican gangs are a recent phenomenon. In the past several years, East Coast cities have experienced an increase in the creation of gangs consisting of Mexican nationals. An article by Sgt. Louis Savelli, Vice President, East Coast Gang Investigators' Association.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Student Services (ERIC CASS)
Virtual Library Reading Room
Youth Gangs
http://web.archive.org/web/20031209183115/
http://ericcass.uncg.edu/virtuallib/gangs/gangsbook.html
Still available thanks to the Internet Archive.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Establishment of a Police Gang Unit: An Examination of Rational and Institutional Considerations
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/EstablishmentofaPoliceGangUnit.pdf
U.S Department of Justice (DOJ), December 2000. This study uses a multidimensional method to ascertain the factors that shaped their decisions about a community's gang problem.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Exploiting Gang Communications
http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/Gangs%20Communication.htm
It is safe to say that all law enforcement officers involved in street gang investigations are thoroughly aware of the significance of gang symbols. Countless books, articles and in-service speakers have stressed the importance of being familiar with gang tattoos, colors and graffiti. These symbols are designed to attract attention precisely for a desired effect. Gang culture stresses the use of these mediums of communication for the dual purpose of identifying themselves and intimidating others. Less known are the hidden methods of gang communication: the ciphers, codes and concealment methods used by gangs to send secret messages they don't want law enforcement to read. This article will introduce some of the methods gangs use to communicate secretly as well as investigative techniques used to exploit gang communications. Article by by Daniel Olson, Cryptanalyst Forensic Examiner, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

FAQ Suburban Gangs
http://www.ifpinc.com/Gangs/gangfaq.htm
The material provided here is adapted from the critically acclaimed book Suburban Gangs -- The Affluent Rebels by investigative journalist and internationally recognized gang expert, Dan Korem. Check MAGIC for location and call number in Main Library Stacks.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Female Gang Involvement in a Midwestern City: Correlates, Nature and Meanings
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/FemaleGangInvolvementMidwesternCity.pdf
Department of Justice (DOJ), December 1999. A comparative survey conducted in Columbus, Ohio of young girls who are gang members and those who are not. Correlates gang involvement among girls, the life contexts shaping their participation, the meanings they attribute to it, and the structures and activities of the gangs and the girls' roles in them.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Female Gangs: A Focus on Research
http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/jjbul2001_3_3/contents.html
For many years, female gangs were regarded simply as satellites of male gangs and rigorous research to better understand them was rarely undertaken. This oversight has resulted in gaps in our knowledge about the girls and young women who are at risk for gang involvement and juvenile delinquency. Part of OJJDP’s Youth Gang Series, this Bulletin represents a step toward rectifying the deficiencies of prior research. It summarizes past and present research and tracks the rise in the number of female gangs and the increased public recognition of female gang involvement as a significant social problem. March 2001. 12pp.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Female Gangs: A Select Bibliography
http://www.criminology.utoronto.ca/library/female_gangs.htm
Compiled by the University of Toronto Centre of Criminology Library. March 10, 2003.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Female Gangs: Delinquency and Criminality of Female Gang Members
http://www.juvenilejustice.com/fgang.html
Whether female gangs are seen as a serious problem depends in large part on the level of their delinquent and criminal activities and the types of offenses they commit. Unfortunately, getting definitive information about these topics is difficult. It means working through many detailed studies, often conducted in several cities that differ in important ways. The findings of these studies are not easily generalized, but some conclusions can be drawn. This article reviews three major sources of information, draws some general conclusions about female gang members' delinquency and criminality, and then focuses on female gang members' involvement in drug dealing.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Female Gangs in America
http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/Female.html
http://gangresearch.net/GangResearch/Seminars/female%20gangs/Female.html
Available in the MSU Main Library
Female Gangs have long been overlooked in the gang literature. While the gang has been long seen as a fundamentally male phenomena, the existence of female peer groups has not received careful scrutiny.
Recently, more attention has been paid to female gangs. An edited volume (seen at right) collexcts some of the most important historical and contemporary scholarship on female gangs. The essays introducing each section, written by Meda Chesney-Lind and John Hagedorn, are reprinted here in pdf format.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Female Juvenile Delinquents
http://virlib.ncjrs.org/juv.asp?category=47&subcategory=187
A compilation of web resources from the NCJRS.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

The Five Percenters: Racist Prison Gang or Persecuted Religion?
http://marty-center.uchicago.edu/sightings/archive_1999/sightings-052199.shtml
Prisons offer plentiful and self-contained opportunities to explore the limits of American religious freedom. One recent case involves the clash between prison officials in South Carolina and a group called the Five Percenters. -- Jonathan Moore, Martin Marty Center, University of Chicago, Sightings, May 21, 1999.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Activity in Orange County, California: Final Report to the National Institute of Justice
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/GangActivityinOrangeCountyCA.pdf
National Institute of Justice (NIJ), February 2000. Report on a study conducted by the University of California, Irvine, at the request of the Orange County Chiefs' and Sheriff's Association (OCCSA) to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of OCCSA's community-based, multi-agency efforts to address gang violence and to help develop strategies to prevent and control illegal gang activity. Also evaluated was the OCCSA's Gang Incident Tracking System.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang and Drug-Related Homicide: Baltimore's Successful Enforcement Strategy
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/GangandDrugRelatedHomicideBaltimoresSuccessful.pdf
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), July 2003. This bulletin examines the phenomenon of violent inner-city gangs and introduces an investigative approach to combating these gangs in Baltimore, Maryland.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Busters
[Not available via the web. Available in MSU Main Library Stacks.]
Prosecutors are turning to powerful federal statutes and some handy local ordinances to stop criminal gangs in their tracks. An article by John Gibeaut appearing in the January 1998 issue of ABA Journal, pp.64-68.

Gang Crisis: Do Police and Politicians Have a Solution?
Campus Access
Off-Campus Access for MSU Students : Type in title in quick search box.
Once an urban problem, street gangs have now infiltrated U.S. communities large and small. Gang experts say at least 21,500 gangs — with more than 731,000 members — are active nationwide. Long-established domestic gangs like the Bloods and the Crips remain powerful, but the problem has worsened dramatically in recent years. Heavy immigration, particularly from Latin America and Asia, has introduced highly violent gangs like Mara Salvatrucha and the Almighty Latin Kings Nation. Bound by tight ethnic and racial ties, they often stymie police investigations by assaulting or killing potential witnesses. Having already diversified from illegal drugs into auto theft, extortion, property crimes and home invasion, some East Coast gangs have begun trafficking in fraudulent identification papers that could be used by terrorists. While experts agree gangs are more pervasive than ever, few agree on a remedy. Proposed legislation would increase penalties for gang membership and gang crimes, but critics say it won't solve the problem. William Triplett, CQ Researcher, May 14, 2004.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Education and Training Resource Guide
http://www.gwcinc.com/gguide.htm
Provides a basic guide and review of common warning signs of a street gang presence. Education, intervention and prevention strategies are also provided. Compiled by GWC, Inc., Cahokia, Ill.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Enforcement Problems and Strategies: National Survey Findings
http://www.ilj.org/publications/GANGSVY.pdf
Johnson, Claire and B. Webster, E. F. Connors, and D. Saenz (1994). Journal of Gang Research. Chicago, IL: National Gang Crime Research Center, Chicago State University, Vol. 3, No. 1. This article discusses findings on combating gang crime based on a survey of 149 police departments and another survey of 118 prosecutors' offices.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Homicide in LA, 1989-2001
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/GangHomicideinLA19892001Feb2004.pdf
California Attorney General, February 2004. Explores youth gang homicide in Los Angeles County. Argues that the environment of LA has created a gang culture unique to the rest of California.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Life in East L.A.
http://zonezero.com/exposiciones/fotografos/rodriguez/
Includes photographs from the book East Side Stories : Gang Life in East L.A., by powerHouse Books, New York, November, 1996. This book is also available in the MSU Main Library Chavez Collection.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Members and Delinquent Behavior
NCJ165154
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/165154.pdf
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/165154.txt
This six-page Bulletin was written by Terence P. Thornberry, Ph.D., principal investigator of OJJDP's Rochester Youth Development Study, and James H. Burch II, Program Manager in OJJDP's Special Emphasis Division. The Bulletin summarizes findings of the Rochester Youth Development Study (RYDS), a component of OJJDP's Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency, concerning what proportion of delinquency can be attributed to gang members, a matter with significant implications for the allocation of juvenile justice resources. According to the Rochester study, gang members account for a disproportionate share of delinquent acts, particularly more serious offenses. These results clearly show the importance not only of preventing youth from gang involvement, but of intervening with youth who are already gang-involved and committing a disproportionate share of delinquent and criminal acts. OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin, June 1997.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Members on the Move (NCJ 171153)
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/jjbulletin/9810_1/contents.html
This 11-page Bulletin, part of OJJDP's Youth Gang Series, was written by Cheryl L. Maxson, Ph.D., Associate Research Professor, University of Southern California. "As an increasing number of small cities and communities are beset by the emergence and growth of youth gangs once regarded as the problem of major metropolitan cities, concerns about gang migration and its effects on gang proliferation have grown. The Bulletin clarifies such crucial terms as "gang," "gang proliferation," and "gang migration," and draws on the National Survey on Gang Migration and other literature to provide an enlightening look at the relationship between gang migration and proliferation. Although the author acknowledges the need for additional research on gang migration and its effects, she concludes that communities should examine their own dynamics before attributing their gang problems to migration. Socioeconomic factors, such as persistent unemployment, residential segregation and the lack of recreational, educational, and vocational services for youth, are offered as more likely sources of gang formation or expansion.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Membership, Delinquent Peers, and Delinquent Behavior (NCJ 171119)
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/171119.pdf
"Gang Membership, Delinquent Peers, and Delinquent Behavior" describes the findings of OJJDP-funded longitudinal research involving juveniles in Seattle, WA, and Rochester, NY. This research addressed multiple measures of delinquency and substance use. The Seattle Social Development Project found that for all measures of delinquency and substance use, offense rates were lowest for youth with nondelinquent peers, higher for youth with delinquent peers, and highest for gang members--with the latter group reporting more than twice as many violent acts as their nongang-participating counterparts with delinquent peers. Comparison of offense rates of gang members and nonmembers with delinquent peers participating in the Rochester Youth Development Study show a similar pattern. For violent delinquency among male juveniles, for example, the level of offending for gang members is more than twice as high as that of nonmembers with the highest level of association with delinquent peers. This pattern is also observed in overall delinquency, drug selling, and drug use. Gang membership intensifies delinquent behavior. Communities developing comprehensive approaches to reducing juvenile violence and victimization that include youth gang prevention, intervention, and suppression components, should find the information in this Bulletin helpful.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Page
http://www.geocities.com/tupper89_2000/linker.html#sectionF
A compilation of web resources by Edward Kasper, New York Corrections Officer. There are dead links, but it is still worth mining.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Problems and Gang Programs in a National Sample of Schools
http://www.gottfredson.com/gangsumm.pdf
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Profile of the Black P. Stone Nation (BPSN)
http://www.ngcrc.com/bpsn2003.html
The gang whose leader Jeff Fort tried to do contract terrorism work for Libya. Article by George W. Knox appearing in the Fall 2001 Special Edition of the Journal of Gang Research focusing on Gangs and Terrorism.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Reduction Through Intervention, Prevention, and Education (GRIPE)
http://www.gripe4rkids.org/
The East Coast Gang Investigators Association, Inc. (ECGIA) is proud to announce it's new program called GRIPE (Gang Reduction through Intervention, Prevention, and Education). ECGIA has been working to educate the communities and those entrusted to work with our youth about gangs. We should all realize that suppression alone would not win the war on gangs. It must be, we believe, a threefold effort to include Education, Prevention and Suppression. Includes sections on gang history, gang myths, gang graffiti, gang faqs.
(Last checked 09/15/05)

Gang Related Legislation by State
http://www.iir.com/nygc/gang-legis/
Using automated databases and working with a variety of entities, the National Youth Gang Center identifies gang-related legislation. This information is updated as new legislation and existing legislation are identified. Courtesy of the National Youth Gang Center.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Research.Net
http://www.gangresearch.net/
This site "seeks to dispel stereotypes and present research, original documents, and helpful links." While focusing on Chicago gangs, there is information about gangs in other parts of the U.S. as well as the effect globalization has had on gangs. Gang Research provides basic information about what gangs are, female gangs, and the relationship of gangs to the War on Drugs.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Structures, Crime Patterns, and Police Responses: A Summary Report
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/GangStructuresSummaryReport.pdf
National Institute of Justice (NIJ), June 2001. Provides focused, data-based guidelines for gang intervention and control. It estimates the national prevalence of various types of gang structures and perceived patterns of associated criminal activity and constructs crime profiles for the most common gang structures. Data sources include law enforcement gang experts in 59 cities and information from 110 candidate cities regarding their capacity to furnish crime data linked to different types of gangs. The study concludes that if the nation is to base gang-control policies on police-recorded gang data, then law enforcement will need major assistance in accurately reflecting the nature of gang arrests.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Structures, Crime Patterns, and Police Responses: Full Report
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/GangStructures.pdf
National Institute of Justice (NIJ), June 2001. Provides data on how street gang crime patterns related to common patterns of street gang structure provide focused, data-based guidelines for gang intervention and control.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Suppression and Intervention: Community Models
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/gangcorr.pdf
Another resource from the OJJDP provides an overview of effective community responses to the problems of street gangs and offers a gang prevention and intervention model based on their assessments. Good resource for effective policies, practices, and strategies to combat gangs.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Suppression and Intervention: Problem and Response
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/gangprob.pdf
The Survey of School-Based Gang Prevention and Intervention Programs is a study of approaches used by schools to prevent or reduce gang involvement among schools. Based on a large national probability sample of schools and students, the study describes students’ involvement with gangs, the characteristics of students who are involved with gangs (including their levels of involvement with drugs, weapons, and other forms of delinquent behavior), and the extent and correlates of gang problems in schools. The study also describes what and how much is being done in the nation’s schools to prevent or reduce gang-related problems, and to assess how well these prevention and intervention activities are being done. The research identifies features of prevention and intervention activity that local schools and communities can consider to strengthen their programs. Preliminary Summary of Findings from the Survey of School-Based Gang Prevention and Intervention Programs. Gary D. Gottfredson and Denise C. Gottfredson. February 28, 2001
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Sweep Nets 23 in Area; Crackdown Also Hits Grand Rapids
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/
Amber Hunt Martin, Detroit Free Press, August 2, 2005.
Note : access limited to MSU faculty, staff, and students or other subscribers to Newsbank.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted a nationwide sweep called Operation Community Shield, netting 582 people suspected of being gang members in 40 cities, including Detroit and Grand Rapids. Those arrested in Detroit allegedly had ties to four local gangs: the Surenos, Surenos-13, Nortenos and Muertos Treces.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Violence and Prevention: Research Review
http://web.archive.org/web/20021213231002/
http://coopext.cahe.wsu.edu/~sherfey/issue4c.htm
Mary H. Lees, Mary Dean, Louise Parker. Washington State University Cooperative Extension Research Review, Issue 4, Winter 1994. Contents: Why do people join gangs?, Risk Factors for Joining a Gang, Understanding Gangs, Protective Factors, Gang Prevention, and Bibliography. Still available thanks to the Internet Archive.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gang Wars : The Failure of Enforcement Tactics and the Need for Effective Public Safety Strategies
http://www.justicepolicy.org/reports_jl/7-10-07_gangs/GangsFullReport2.pdf
The Justice Policy Institute released a new report today critical of the tactics used by several of the nation's large cities to tackle gang problems. The report comes as federal legislation is being introduced to increase funds and programs to boost what the report characterizes as failing tactics. From the press release: " [The report] undertakes an extensive review of the research literature on gangs to clarify persistent misconceptions and examine the effectiveness of common gang control strategies. According to the report, in cities like Los Angeles where gang activity is most prevalent, more police, more prisons and more punitive measures haven’t stopped the cycle of gang violence. Most surprising are conclusions that gangs are responsible for a relatively small share of crime; gang activity has not grown in the U.S.; whites make up a large – if largely invisible – proportion of gang members; most gang-involved youth quit before reaching adulthood; and heavy-handed suppression tactics can increase gang cohesion while failing to reduce violence." The report offers approaches that its research suggests will be more effective in reducing gang violence. More information can be found in the press release.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs 2000
http://www.cgiaonline.org/gangs2000/menu.html
A report sponsored by the California Attorney General's Office. Contains sections on Hispanic gangs, African American gangs, Asian gangs, and white gangs.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs: A Bibliography
http://isd.usc.edu/%7Eanthonya/gang.htm
Compiled by Anthony Anderson based on the holdings of the University of Southern California Library holdings. Last updated Dec. 15, 2000.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs : A Bibliography
http://fbilibrary.fbiacademy.edu/bibliographies/gangs.htm
A bibliography by the FBI Academy, March 2005.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs: A Growing Problem
http://web.archive.org/web/20021017211135/
http://tc.unl.edu/tcforum/hannigan2.html
Short paper by David T. Hannigan. Includes footnotes and references to sources. Still available thanks to the Internet Archive.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs and Armed Young Men Around the World
http://gangresearch.net/Globalization/Globroom.html
These pages look at the similarities and differences between armed groups as diverse as child soldiers, gangs, drug cartels, para-militaries, fundamentalist religious militias, and death squads. They are mainly based on research from a ten nation study, neither War nor Peace, and case studies from the Social Science Research Council Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict. John Hagedorn, University of Illinois, Chicago.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs and Extemist Groups: A Guide for Commanders, Parents, and Teachers
http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/190-100.htm
The intent of this handbook is to educate concerned commanders, parents, and school teachers on typical gang characteristics and the warning signs indicating a soldier, family member, or student is drifting into gang-like activity. We hope you, the reader, can apply the information in this handbook to help civilian and military professionals discourage the formation of gangs or gang-like groups and deter gang-related incidents through-out USAREUR. USAREUR Pamphlet 190-100, March 10, 1997.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs and Guns : A Task Force Report from the National Gang Crime Research Center
http://www.ngcrc.com/ngcrc/page12.htm
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs and Security Threat Group Awareness
http://www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/gangs/index.html
A compilation of gang information by the Florida Department of Corrections. Categories include: gang basics, Chicago-based gangs, L.A.-based gangs, Nations Set, Prison Gangs, Florida Gangs, Supremacy Groups, Community Awareness, and Additional Links.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs and Terrorism
http://gangresearch.net/Globalization/terrorism/terrorism.html
The linking of former Maniac Latin Disciple gang member, Jose Padilla, to Al Queda had all the markings of the perfect stereotype. After all, haven't gangs been labeled "terrorists"by many in law enforcement, and aren't many laws against gangs called "Anti-terrorism" acts? Attorney General Ashcroft's simplistic pronouncements can be realistically seen as one more sign of repression. Gangs aren't terrorists. But this doesn't end the story.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs and Victimization at School
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/GangsandVictimizationatSchoolJul1995.pdf
U.S. Department of Education (DOE), July 1995. This study found that the prevalence of gangs does not depend on racial characteristics of a school or whether or not it was urban or suburban. The study did find that the presence of gangs predicted the amount of victimization and fear present in a school.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs and Youth Subcultures: International Explorations.
Kayleen Hazlehurst and Cameron Hazlehurst. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1998. Main Library Stacks HV6437 .G35 1998
MSU facutly and students have access to an electronic version.
Expert scholars and policy advisors lay the groundwork for an explanation of why gangs continue to grow in strength and influence, and why they have spread to remote locations. Vietnamese youth gangs are included in this comparative book on international experiences with gangs.

Gangs: From Social Groups to Violent Delinquents
http://web.archive.org/web/20021017141913/
http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu/monographs/uds107_gangs.html
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs, Guerilla Warfare, and social Conflict:
The Potential Terrorism Threat From Gangs in America
http://www.ngcrc.com/introcha.html
Article by George W. Knox, Ph.D. one of the 30+ selections from An Introduction to Gangs (2000).
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs in Ann Arbor
http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1997/dec/12-09-97/news/news3.html
Alice Robinson, Michigan Daily, Dec. 9, 1997.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs : In the Spotlight
http://www.ncjrs.gov/spotlight/gangs/summary.html
"Once found principally in large cities, violent street gangs now affect public safety, community image, and quality of life in communities of all sizes in urban, suburban, and rural areas. No region of the United States is untouched by gangs. Gangs affect society at all levels, causing heightened fears for safety, violence, and economic costs" (2005 National Gang Threat Assessment, National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations, 2005).
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs in Los Angeles County
Also known as Streetgangs.Com
formerly known as L.A. Gangs
http://www.streetgangs.com/
A collection of information and pictures about Los Angeles gangs by Alejandro A. Alonso. Also contains extensive links to other gang sites on the web.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs in Middle America: Are They a Threat?
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/GangsinMiddleAmericaAreTheyThreatDec2001.pdf
Examines the history of gangs in the Midwest and their threat. The article also covers the topic of gang migration. Article from FBI Law Enforcement, December 2001.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs in Rural America, Final Report
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/GangsinRuralAmericaFinalReport.pdf
National Institute of Justice (NIJ), September 2001. Using the National Youth Gang Surveys (NYGS), this study has two components. First, the NYGS data were merged with other county level data to create a unique data set for considering the relationship between reports of gang presence and county level social, economic, and demographic characteristics. Second, the study used interviews with agencies in rural counties that reported gang presence, the nature of gang problems, and effective responses to rural gangs.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs in Schools
http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/Gangs%20In%20Schools.htm
Gang culture among young people, in itself, is nothing new. Indeed, youth gangs have been a major part of the urban cultural landscape since at least the1830s, when Charles Dickens described Fagin's pack of young boys roaming the streets of London in Oliver Twist. In the late twentieth century United States, however, gangs have taken on a different character and have moved into areas un-imagined by Dickens. Most significantly, they are spreading from inner cities to smaller communities. Indeed, while gang activity has been stabilizing in urban areas, it has increased significantly elsewhere. At the same time, gangs have become a growing problem in public schools, which historically have been considered "neutral turf." Article by by Gary Burnett, ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, and Garry Walz, ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Student Services, courtesy of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators' Associations.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs in the Schools
http://web.archive.org/web/20041030063231/
www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed372175.html
A digest (#99) by Gary Burnett, ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, and Gary Waltz, ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Student Services. Covers characteristics of gangs, impact of gangs on schools, why gangs develop and why students join them, gangs and school responses, effective interactions, and bibliography. July 1994.
Gang culture among young people, in itself, is nothing new. Indeed, youth gangs have been a major part of the urban cultural landscape since at least the 1830s, when Charles Dickens described Fagin's pack of young boys roaming the streets of London in Oliver Twist. In the late twentieth century United States, however, gangs have taken on a different character and have moved into areas unimagined by Dickens. Most significantly, they are spreading from inner cities to "edge cities"--cities at the outskirts of large urban centers--and to suburbs; indeed, while gang activity has been stabilizing in urban areas, it has increased significantly elsewhere (Bodinger-deUriarte, 1993). At the same time, gangs have become a growing problem in public schools, which historically have been considered "neutral turf." Still available thanks to the Internet Archive.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs in West Michigan
http://web.archive.org/web/20011212153352/
http://www.novagate.com/novasurf/wmgangs.html
"There is gang activity going on now in Muskegon, Ottawa, and Kent counties and surrounding areas. It is not limited to the larger cities, nor to low income areas". Article last updated November 3, 1997. Still available courtesy of the Internet Archive.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs OR Us
http://www.gangsorus.com/
A web page by Robert Walker, a South Carolina law enforcement veteran and consultant and expert on gangs. Be sure to check out the web pages on gangs and gang identifiers.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs : Public Enemy Number One
http://web.archive.org/web/20050902170353/
http://www.velocity.net/~acekc/CCC+Gang+Book+-+Main+Text.htm
"Cook County is under siege. A criminal menace threatens to unravel the fabric of society and destroy our communities. No one is immune from street gangs and the harm they inflict." A report synopsis by the Chicago Crime Commission in cooperation with OICP.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Gangs Throw Rivals a Cyberpunch
http://onlinedatinginfo.com/node/611
The threat from the District of Columbia area gang Street Thug Criminals was very clear: "We swore we were going to get the (bleep) that did this and we are. RIP Antonio." It was delivered the way almost everything seems to be these days: on a Web page. The Street Thug Criminals have an Internet page, and they used it to warn a rival Langley Park, Md., gang that Antonio's death would be avenged. Police call it "cyberbanging" -- gang members openly bragging about affiliations, skipping school, getting high and battling rival gangs.
Many postings deal with Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, a Latino gang that has been spreading quickly across the Washington region in recent years. There is no way to know for certain whether these cyberbangers are gang members, but it's not likely that they are phonies, said Sgt. George Norris, a Prince George's County, Md., police officer who heads a 16-member regional gang task force. "If you portray yourself as being MS-13 and you're not, when they find out about it, they kill you just as if you're a rival gang member," Norris said.
Prince George's police and other investigators use the sites to track the growing gang problem and to catalog members. Most cyberbangers on Web pages examined by The Washington Post are teen-agers and design their pages to flash in-your-face images of gang flags, hand signs, marijuana, women, stacks of cash and "original gangster" scrolls certifying them as legitimate. Some show pictures of themselves with guns and bandannas covering their faces below the eyes, casting menacing glances. The sites use the members' nicknames and rarely refer to legal names. The pages are legal; it is not against the law to be in a gang. Article by Allison Klein, The Washington Post, reprinted in Detroit News, April 15, 2006.
(Last checked 04/17/06)

The Girls Behind The Boys: Girls in Gangs
Available in the MSU Main Library Stacks HV6439.U52 C5 L563 1999
The role of girls in gangs is changing - they are younger, tougher and are just as violent, sometimes more, than their male counterparts. More troubling, their children are immersed in the chaos and violence of gangs from birth, passing down the gang legacy to yet another generation. Although still a fraction of overall gang membership - the CCC estimates between 16,000 and 20,000 female gang members and associates in Chicago - the consequences of ignoring this growing segment could be deadly to law enforcement officers. This report will include trends surrounding girls in gangs, a statistical review and myths about girls in gangs, types of girls in gangs, factors that lead girls to join gangs, recruitment and initiation practices, the role of females in gangs, officer safety issues and recommendations, programs and resources for assistance in dealing with the problem. Chicago Crime Commission. Sept. 1999. 90pp.

Globalization, Gangs, and Collaborative Research
http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/scans/Globalization.pdf
John M. Hagedorn, University of Illinois, Chicago. pp.41-58.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Graffiti : Newspapers of the Streets
http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/Graffi.htm
Graffiti is done by members from traditional gangs, as well as by graffiti writers called taggers. To leave their mark, gang members use spray paint, wide-tipped markers, and even scratch (etch) glass with sharp objects. Article by by Janene Rae, Director, Off the Wall (Salt Lake City Graffiti Abatement).
(Last checked 06/01/07)

The Growth of Youth Gang Problems in the United States: 1970-1998
NCJ 181868
http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/ojjdprpt_yth_gng_prob_2001/index.html
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/181868-1.pdf
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/181868-2.pdf
The last quarter of the 20th century was marked by significant growth in youth gang problems across the United States. In the 1970's, less than half the States reported youth gang problems, but by the late 1990's, every State and the District of Columbia reported youth gang activity. In the same period, the number of cities reporting youth gang problems mushroomed nearly tenfold—from fewer than 300 in the 1970's to more than 2,500 in 1998, and the number of counties citing youth gang problems grew even more precipitously, from about 100 in the 1970's to nearly 1,200 in 1998—an increase of more than 1,000 percent. Walter B. Miller, April 2001.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

A Guide to Assessing Your Community's Youth Gang Problem
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/AGuideAssessingYourCommunitiesYouthGangProblem.pdf
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), June 2002. This guide has been developed to assist policymakers, practitioners, and community leaders in assessing and understanding their youth gang problem and developing an integrated plan to reduce gang crime in their community.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Highlights of the 2002-2003 National Youth Gang Surveys (FS-200501)
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=12184
This fact sheet summarizes findings from the National Youth Gang Surveys for 2002 and 2003 and sheds light on the number of gangs, gang members, and gang-related homicides in urban, suburban, and rural areas. The findings indicate that gangs, gang members, and gang-related homicides are concentrated in larger cities. Arlen Egley, Jr., Ph.D., Senior Research Associate, National Youth Gang Center. 2pp.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Highlights of the 2004 National Youth Gang Survey
http://www.iir.com/nygc/publications/fs200601.pdf
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Hispanic Gangs: A History of California's Hispanic Gangs
http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/Hispanic%20Gangs.htm
Article by Al Valdez, Investigator, Orange County (Cal.) District Attorney's Office courtesy of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations.
Also listed under Organized Crime - A History of California's Hispanic Gangs.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Homeland Security Bureau Goes After Gangs
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0305/031405c1.htm
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau announced Monday the launch of an operation focused on helping state and local law enforcement go after the nation's most violent gangs. ICE officials said the bureau is uniquely suited for the effort because it can combine immigrations and customs enforcement powers to target, disrupt and, if necessary, deport members of violent gangs in the United States. "We have incredible immigration authorities and customs authorities under one roof right now, and we're able to bring that to the table," said Assistant Secretary Michael Garcia, who is in charge of ICE. "We not only can take them off the streets and detain them, but we can deport them from the United States, and that is an incredibly powerful tool in going after a criminal organization." Source: Article by Chris Strohm, GovExec.Com, March 14, 2005.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Homicide in Los Angeles: An Analysis of the Differential Character of Adolescent and Other Homicides
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/HomicideinLosAngelesAnAnalysis.pdf
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), March 2002. Describes a research project that placed emphasis on four dimensions of youth violence in the Los Angeles: patterns of gang participation, drug and alcohol involvement, weapons use, and differential patterns among ethnic minorities.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Hybrid and Other Modern Gangs (YGS Bulletin)
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/189916.pdf
Describes the nature of modern youth gangs, in particular, hybrid gangs. Hybrid gang culture is characterized by mixed racial and ethnic participation within a single gang, participation in multiple gangs by a single individual, vague rules and codes of conduct for gang members, use of symbols and colors from multiple—even rival—gangs, collaboration by rival gangs in criminal activities, and the merger of smaller gangs into larger ones. Thus, hybrid gang customs are clearly distinguished from the practices of their predecessors. This Youth Gang Series Bulletin draws on survey data, research findings, and field reports to detail these critical differences, reviewing such issues as gang stereotypes and gang migration in the process. December 2001. 8pp. NCJ 189916.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Impact of Gangs on Communities
http://www.iir.com/nygc/publications/NYGCbulletin_0806.pdf
James C. Howell, NYGC Bulletin no. 2, August 2006.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Inmates Are Free to Practice Black Supremacist Religion, Judge Rules
http://www.mail-archive.com/religionlaw@listserv.ucla.edu/msg00327.html
Until two weeks ago, Intelligent Tarref Allah, a 27-year-old Brooklyn native convicted of murder in 1995, was just a gang member in prison asking for special treatment. For years, New York State prison officials would not allow Mr. Allah - who is known to inmates and guards by his new legal first name, Intelligent, or Intel - to openly practice what he describes as his religion, central tenets of which encourage self-analysis, meditation and a black supremacist message. Mr. Allah is a Five Percenter, part of a black militant group that broke from the Nation of Islam in the 1960's. The New York State prison system has long regarded it as a violence-prone gang, much as the system also regards the Latin Kings, Crips or the Aryan Brotherhood. Source: Paul von Zielbauer, New York Times, August 18, 2003.
Also listed under Corrections.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

International Latino Gang Investigators Association
http://www.ilgia.org/
An active discussion list to share the latest trends, crimes, and movements of Latino gangs across North and South America, especially in the U.S.
Also listed under Criminal Justice -- Associations.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

The International Reach of the Mara Salvatrucha
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4539688
Article by the National Public Radio about the spread of Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 across nations and legal efforts to curb the gang.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Into The Abyss: A Personal Journey into the World of Street Gangs
http://www.faculty.missouristate.edu/m/mkc096f/
Also available in print in the MSU Main Library Stacks.
Online book by Mike Carlie, professor, Missouri State University. Includes extensive web links.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Invisible Gang Members: A Report on Female Gang Association in Winnipeg
http://web.archive.org/web/20041010004711/
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/manitoba/gangs-summary.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20040613150553/
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/manitoba/gangs.pdf
Melanie Nimmo. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - Manitoba. June 2001. 27pp.
Still available thanks to the Internet Archive.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Journal of Gang Research (Index)
http://www.ngcrc.com/ngcrc/page2.htm
Note: the MSU Libraries subscribes to this journal. Check MAGIC for holdings, locations, and call number.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Juvenile Justice Reform Initiatives in the States, 1994-1996
Combating Street Gangs Chapter
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/reform/ch2_e.html
An important piece of the juvenile justice reform movement in this Nation has been devoted to finding new ways to reduce gang-related crime and violence. A number of States have enacted laws that enhance the penalties for gang-related offenses, and many local jurisdictions have adopted ordinances that are designed to curb or outlaw gang-related activities. Federal authorities and local law enforcement agencies also have combined resources to create multijurisdictional task forces and other bodies to investigate and prosecute gang members. Meanwhile, a host of prevention and intervention measures have been implemented in the schools to dissuade children and adolescents from joining gangs and engaging in crime and violence. National Criminal Justice Association, October 1997.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Know Gangs
http://www.knowgangs.com/
Web page developed by Jared L. Lewis, gangs consultant. Check out the resources provided on gangs, drugs, and school safety.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Latin Gangs in the Americas: Los Mara Salvatrucha
http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resources/profiles/ms13/
Article by Tony Vaquera and David W. Bailey appearing in Crime & Justice International, Nov./Dec. 2004, pages 4-10.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Latin Kings Speak
http://gangresearch.net/ChicagoGangs/latinkings/Reyx.html
Talk by a Latin King Leader March 28, 2002. Courtesy of GangResearch.net.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Latino Gangs in Grand Rapids, Michigan
http://www4.gvsu.edu/latinos/latino_gangs_in_grand_rapids.htm
Paper by Joanne M. Catania, Criminal Justice major, Grand Valley State University, 1998.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Latino Gangs in Los Angeles
web link Article by Thomas Watkins, Los Angeles Times, "Some Latino gangs kill on race alone, authorities say; Los Angeles works to reduce violence in its neighborhoods", Detroit Free Press, December 31, 2007.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Learning from Gangs: the Mexican American Experience
http://web.archive.org/web/20041014223717/
www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed405157.html
Discusses the development of a gang identity among adolescents; describes gang signs, symbols, and characteristic activities; and suggests that communities and schools adopt balanced intervention strategies. James Diego Vigil. Note: ED405157, February 1997, should be available in the ERIC microfiche collection in the Periodical Reading Room.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Mara Salvatrucha (Entry from Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mara_Salvatrucha
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Mara Salvatrucha (M-13) Gang
Gang is Blamed in Prison Attacks
Newspaper article no longer available free on internet. Available on microfilm in the MSU Library.
Gang members held simultaneous riots in at least seven Guatemalan prisons Monday, attacking rivals with grenades, guns and knives in coordinated actions that left 31 inmates dead, officials said. Interior Minister Carlos Vielmann said the riots apparently began with attacks by members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang against rivals. Vielmann said visitors had brought guns into the prisons. He said the gangs "maintain constant communication. They have a Web page and not only synchronize in Guatemala, they synchronize with El Salvador, Honduras and with the United States." He said they also use mobile phones and messages passed by visitors. Governments throughout Central America have been waging a campaign against Mara Salvatrucha and related gangs, tightening laws and throwing thousands of the tattooed gang members into prisons, which have often seen clashes between feuding factions. Salvadoran immigrants living in Los Angeles first formed the Mara Salvatrucha gang in the 1980s, when many fled the civil war in El Salvador. It now has members across the United States, Canada and Central America. Sergio De Leon, Detroit Free Press, August 16, 2005.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Mara Salvatrucha (M-13) Gang : A South American Import
http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/Mara%20Salvatrucha.htm
Article by Investigator Al Valdez, Orange County District Attorney's Office, courtesy of National Alliance of Gang Investigators' Associations.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Methamphematime Use and Sales Among Gang Members: The Cross-Over Effect
http://www.ngcrc.com/methuse.html
Source: Article by Curtis J. Robinson appearing in the Fall 2001 Special Edition of the Journal of Gang Research focusing on Gangs and Terrorism.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Midwest Gang Investigators Association
http://www.mgia.org/
Includes an extensive collection of resource links.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Modern Day Youth Gangs
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/191524.pdf
From the time that youth gangs first came to public prominence in the United States, they have been associated with inner-city neighborhoods in major cities such as Chicago or Los Angeles. The more recent proliferation of gangs into less traditional areas—smaller cities, towns, suburbs, and even rural communities—has led experts to question whether modern-day youth gangs differ significantly from their predecessors. James C. Howell, Arlen Egley, Jr., and Debra K. Gleason. Juvenile Justice Bulletin, June 2002.
Compares the characteristics of youth gangs in jurisdictions where gang problems began prior to 1991 with those in jurisdictions where gang problems began more recently. Part of OJJDP's Youth Gang Series, this Bulletin draws on data from the 1996 and 1998 National Youth Gang Surveys to explore whether modern-day gangs differ significantly from their predecessors. It reveals differences in geographic location, age and racial composition, and involvement in violence and drug trafficking. The findings reported have important implications for responding to the challenges that gangs pose to the Nation. Includes 4 figures, 7 tables, and a list of related readings. June 2002
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Motorcycle Gangs or Motorcycle Mafia
http://www.nagia.org/Gang%20Articles/Motorcycle%20Gangs.htm
Once considered nothing more than rowdy toughs on two-wheelers, motorcycle gangs have evolved into crime units that are sufficiently well-oiled and well-organized to rival the Mafia. It's not just police officers who lump these groups together. Documented evidence in state, provincial and federal courts throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia suggests that motorcycle gangs have become organized crime entities equal to the Mafia on many fronts. Biker gangs are organized internationally, with chapters in Europe, Australia, South America and Africa. As retired Illinois State Police Sergeant Joe Satercier noted in 1993 at a Chicago-area Outlaw Motorcycle Gang training seminar, "Biker gangs are the only sophisticated organized crime groups that we export from the United States." Article by by Sergeant Steve Tretheway, Arizona Department of Public Safety, and Lieutenant Terry Katz, Criminal Intelligence Division, Maryland State Police.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

The Myth of L.A.'s Race War
http://www.alternet.org/story/32674/
Former gang members say the violent Los Angeles jail riots aren't about race; they're about power and pain. Article by Maria Luisa Tucker, AlterNet, February 24, 2006.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Alliance of Gang Investigators Association
http://www.nagia.org/
Coalition of criminal justice professionals dedicated to the promotion of a comprehensive and fully coordinated anti-gang strategy. Provides links to state and regional assoications with web pages.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Alliance of Gang Investigators Association
Gang-Related Articles
http://www.nagia.org/Gang-Related%20Articles.htm
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Gang Crime Research Center
http://www.ngcrc.com
Formed in 1990, the NGCRC exists today as a non-profit independent agency. We carry out research on gangs and gang members, disseminate information through publications and reports, and provide training and consulting services. Publishes Journal of Gang Research.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Gang Threat Assessment, 2005
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/2005NationalGangThreatAssessment.pdf
Once found principally in large cities, violent street gangs now affect public safety, community image, and quality of life in communities of all sizes in urban, suburban, and rural areas. No region of the United States is untouched by gangs. Gangs affect society at all levels, causing heightened fears for safety, violence, and economic costs. This publication by the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations (NAGIA) includes chapter/sections on gangs and drugs, asian organized crime, russian organized crime, gangs and terrorist organizations, prison gangs, hispanic gangs, female gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, gangs in Indian country, and community response to gangs.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center
Security Threat Groups/Gangs
http://www.nlectc.org/links/ganglinks.html
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Major Gang Task Force
http://www.nmgtf.org
An independent organization specializing in intervention, management strategies, networking, training and information-sharing regarding gangs.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Youth Gang Center
http://www.iir.com/nygc/
http://www.iir.com/nygc/PublicationLinks.htm
The proliferation of gang problems in large and small cities, suburbs, and even rural areas over the last two decades led to the development of a comprehensive, coordinated response to America’s gang problem by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The OJJDP response involves five major components, one of which is the implementation and operation of the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC). The first web site describes the mission of the NYGC; the second provides links to full text documents.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Youth Gang Center
Gang Related News
http://www.iir.com/nygc/summaries.cfm
This page provides a list of articles pertaining to gangs and gang-related activities from various news sources. A link to the source of each article is provided. The list of articles can be refined by date and limited to a specific state.
(Last checked 09/15/05)

National Youth Gang Survey (1995)
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/164728.pdf
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/fs9763.pdf
August 1997. The first of what is hoped to be an annual survey.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Youth Gang Survey (1996)
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/fs-9886.txt
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/96natyouthgangsrvy/contents.html
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/173964.pdf
The 1995 National Youth Gang Survey gathered basic data from police and sheriffs' departments across the Nation. More than 2,000 of the 3,140 responding agencies reported gangs in their jurisdiction in 1995. Although the 1995 survey showed that both youth gangs and youth gang members were more numerous than previously estimated, it was recognized that the numbers were undoubtedly higher since not every law enforcement agency was surveyed, nor were the data extrapolated for the Nation as a whole. The 1996 National Youth Gang Survey, therefore, was designed not only to be more comprehensive in regard to the types of data collected, but also to be statistically representative, resulting in a more extensive national picture. More than 2,629 agencies responded to the survey (an 87-percent response rate). Approximately 53 percent of survey respondents reported that gangs were active in their jurisdiction in 1996. From survey data, it is estimated that up to 4,824 U.S. cities may be experiencing gang problems, and that nationwide there may be as many as 31,000 street gangs, with a total membership of 846,000. Not unexpectedly, these numbers are higher than those in the 1995 survey, due in large measure to the greater scope and representativeness of the 1996 sample, as previously noted. Additional areas related to gang activity that the survey explored include year of onset of gang problem, race and ethnicity of gang members, gender of gang members, gang involvement in illegal drug sales, gang migration, and the types of offenses committed by gang members.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Youth Gang Survey (1997)
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles1/fs9997.txt
http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/97_ygs/
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/178891.pdf
After describing the survey’s methodology, the Summary discusses the prevalence of youth gangs, the number of jurisdictions with active youth gangs, the number of youth gangs and gang members, youth gangs and crime, youth gangs and drugs, youth gang migration, law enforcement responses, and perceptions of the gang problem. The Summary includes 31 tables, 18 figures, and 13 appendixes. John P. Moore and Craig P. Terrett. March 1999. 5pp.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Youth Gang Survey (1998)
http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/jjsum_11_00/index.html
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/183109.pdf
The report provides analysis and statistics on number and locations of gangs; member demographics (age, sex, and race/ethnicity); gang involvement in crime and drugs; and antigang task force activity. Includes 49 tables, 6 figures, and references.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Youth Gang Survey: 1999-2001
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=209392
Provides results from the 1999, 2000, and 2001 National Youth Gang Surveys and, when available, preliminary results from the 2002 survey. The National Youth Gang Survey, administered by the National Youth Gang Center, collects data from a representative sample of law enforcement agencies from city and county jurisdictions across the United States. An estimated 731,500 gang members and more than 21,500 gangs were active in the United States in 2002, highlighting that gangs remain a significant problem, particularly in large cities. Every city with a population of 250,000 or more reported the presence of youth gangs in 2002, as they had in every previous survey.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Youth Gang Survey (1999 Highlights)
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs200020.pdf
Summarizes findings of the 1999 National Youth Gang Survey, which is the fifth annual gang survey conducted since 1995 by the National Youth Gang Center. This Fact Sheet summarizes data on the percentage of jurisdictions reporting active youth gangs in 1999; the reported numbers of youth gangs and gang members; the age, race/ethnicity, and social class of gang members; the proportions of gang members who were involved in specific types of crimes and who were migrants from other jurisdictions; and the percentage of youth gangs that were considered drug gangs. It also summarizes survey responses on the effectiveness of various programs and on whether the gang problem is getting better, getting worse, or staying the same. The Fact Sheet compares data from the 1999 survey with data from previous surveys to indicate gang-related trends.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Youth Gang Survey (2000 Highlights)
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs200204.pdf
Reports findings from the 2000 National Youth Gang Survey, the sixth annual gang survey conducted since 1995 by the National Youth Gang Center. Respondents to the survey were asked to provide information on the characteristics of gang-related violent crime in their jurisdictions. This Fact Sheet describes the nature of the survey sample and highlights the survey's major findings, which indicate that the characteristics of gang-related violent crime varied according to jurisdictional size.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Youth Gang Survey (2001 Highlights)
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs200301.pdf
Reports findings from the annual National Youth Gang Survey, which collects statistics on the prevalence of youth gangs throughout the nation. 2 pages.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Youth Gang Survey (2002-2003 Highlights)
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs200501.pdf
Summarizes findings from the National Youth Gang Surveys for 2002 and 2003, including data on the number of gangs, gang members, and gang related homicides in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Overall, the findings provide evidence that gangs, gang members, and gang related homicides are, in large part, predominantly concentrated in larger cities.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Youth Gang Survey (2004 Highlights)
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=235570
The fact sheet summarizes findings from the National Youth Gang Survey for 2004 and reports data on the number of gangs, gang members, and gang-related homicides in larger cities, suburban counties, smaller cities, and rural counties. The findings indicate that gangs, gang members, and gang-related homicides are concentrated in larger cities.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

National Youth Gang Survey Trends from 1996 to 2000
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs200203.pdf
Arlen Egley, Jr. February 2002.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

The Nature of Gangs and Crews : a Study of Youth Gangs and Current Trends
http://fred.ccsu.edu:8000/archive/00000046/
Sonja Greaves. Master's Thesis, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Central Connecticut State University, 2002. 76pp. Gangs are studied in terms of their existence, influence, and nature for means of determining the proper course of action to be taken for prevention and knowledge. The present research examines gangs in New York in terms of the factors listed above. The research is based students surveyed in New York City and border cities. The primary findings of this study suggest that gangs are still very much prevalent and are taking new forms. Implications of findings suggest that parents have less influence on their child’s decision to become involved in gangs than formerly believed.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Nazi Low Riders
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=469
Article by Camille Jackson, Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Report, Summer 2004.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Nazi Low Riders
http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resources/nazi_low_riders/
Article from KnowGangs.com web page.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Nazi Low Riders : A Prison Gang Emerges in California
http://www.adl.org/issue_combating_hate/nazi_low_riders.asp
(Last checked 06/01/07)

NCJRS Juvenile Justice Resources on Gangs
http://virlib.ncjrs.org/juv.asp?category=47&subcategory=66
Some of the titles listed are available in html format, others in pdf.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

New Thinking Can Help Defeat Gang Violence
http://www.pnnonline.org/article.php?sid=4971
Newspaper coverage of gang-related fatalities in California paints a portrait of overwhelming and uncontrollable violence. Editorial pages describe communities affected by violence as bullet-ridden war zones that sound like Baghdad. Community members are portrayed as helpless victims. Labeled as "urban terrorists," perpetrators of violence are cast as monsters beyond reform. And the only proposed cures for this epidemic are more police officers and more prisons. Missing from this picture is the proven effectiveness of public health strategies to eradicate the breeding grounds of crime. Statistics show that violence prevention programs save lives and tax dollars -- up to $3 for every $1 invested, according to a 1998 Rand report. Article by Gary L. Yates posted to PNN Online, January 29, 2004.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Police and Community Responses to Youth Gangs
http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi2/tandi274.html
Although there are no national data on youth gangs in Australia there is a perception that youth gangs are an emerging problem. This paper draws largely on overseas attempts to deal with gang related activity and the extent to which they have been successful. The paper discusses the use of police powers in suppressing gangs; the weapons issue; the use of aggressive coercive measures, youth curfews and anti loitering laws; community based responses to youth gangs, including the use of a four step problem solving model; and specific community strategies, including the employment of detached youth and community workers, the provision of specific facilities and services for youth, and community development initiatives. The most successful interventions have some combination of coercive and developmental measures. A key issue for both policy makers and practitioners is the weight given to particular measures within the context of an overall strategy. While for tactical purposes, coercive force may occasionally be necessary, positive approaches to gang issues also require developmental strategies and active community involvement. Australian Institute of Criminology. Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, no. 274.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Police Response to Gangs
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/PoliceResponsetoGangs.pdf
National Institute of Justice (NIJ), April 2004. Prepared by Arizona State University West, this research report describes the assumptions, issues, problems, and events that have been characterizing, shaping, and defining police response to local gang problems in the United States, centering on Albuquerque, New Mexico; Inglewood, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Phoenix, Arizona.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Preventing Adolescent Gang Involvement
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/182210.pdf
http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/2000_9_2/contents.html
Another good resource from the OJJDP. After describing recent trends and key characteristics of youth gangs, the Bulletin examines risk factors for gang membership, including individual and family demographics, personal attributes, and peer group, school, and community factors. Gang prevention strategies are presented and illustrated with examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs. Primary prevention targets the entire at-risk population, while secondary prevention focuses on those identified as being at greatest risk for delinquency. Finally, tertiary prevention efforts involve interventions with confirmed gang members. Finn-Aage Esbensen. Juvenile Justice Bulletin, September 2000.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Preventing Gang- and Drug-Related Witness Intimidation
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/163067.pdf
Report describes how several jurisdictions have carried out victim/witness security strategies and offers a blueprint for combining the approaches into a comprehensive, structured program to protect witnesses and help ensure their cooperation with the justice system. Peter Finn and Kerry Murphy Healey. National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Nov. 1996. 155pp.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Preventing Youth Violence in Urban Schools: An Essay Collection
http://web.archive.org/web/20021003003744/
http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu/monographs/uds107_index.html
Compiled by Wendy Schwartz. Includes

Preventing Violence in Schools

Gang Activity at Schools: Prevention Strategies

School Violence and the Legal Rights of Students: Selected Issues
Still available thanks to the Internet Archive.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Price of Gang Wars
http://www.ncpa.org/pi/crime/pd020901f.html
National Center for Policy Analysis.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Prison Gangs: Gang and Security Threat Group Awareness
http://www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/gangs/index.html
In 1992, the Florida Department of Corrections began its efforts to identify the levels of gang activity within its inmate/offender population. Although we had not realized a significant number of disruptive incidents attributed to gang activity, national trends and an increase in the intake of younger inmates prompted the Security Threat Group (STG) management initiative. The result is the comprehensive intelligence gathering program that has literally given us a "blueprint" of gang activity in Florida. The Security Threat Intelligence Unit (STIU) is now recognized as a national leader in STG identification, assessment and management. Although our primary focus is on inmates and offenders, we are committed to sharing what we learn with criminal justice agencies and the public. Includes sections on:

Gang Basics - Basic questions and research materials.

F.A.Q. - What is a criminal gang? Who is a criminal gang member?

Chicago Based - These gangs emerged in the early 1960's and have two primary alliances: People Nation and Folk Nation.

Nation Sets - The People Nation and Folk Nation are not gangs - they are alliances under which gangs are aligned.

L.A. Based - Bloods and Crips are probably the most widely recognized gangs.

Prison Gangs - There are six major prison gangs that are recognized nationally for their participation in organized crime and violence.

Florida Gangs - List of gangs/security threat groups encountered.

Supremacy Groups - Information on racial supremacy and neo-Nazi groups.

Awareness Strategies - Does your community have gangs? Why do youths join gangs?

Links - Additional resources on the internet
Also listed under Corrections.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Prosecuting Gang Cases: What Local Prosecutors Need to Know
http://www.ndaa-apri.org/pdf/gang_cases.pdf
Trying a gang case is one of the most difficult undertakings a prosecutor can face. Reluctant witnesses, perjurious testimony, and hostile and intimidating courtroom crowds are but a few of the myriad problems a gang prosecutor can expect in trial. This monograph seeks to address various pre-trial and trial issues in the context of gang evidence. Alan Jackson. American Prosecutors Research Institute. April 2004.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Responding to Gangs: Evaluation and Research
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/190351.pdf
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles1/nij/190351.txt
"Responding to Gangs: Evaluation and Research" (252 pp.) (NCJ 190351) presents a broad-based collection of papers representative of NIJ's portfolio of gang-related research. (NIJ)
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Riot Grrrl and Raisin Girl: Feminity Within the Female Gang, the Power of the Popular
http://web.archive.org/web/20041204173853/
http://www.britsoccrim.org/bccsp/vol01/VOL01_02.HTM
Paper on female gang culture. Using published sources from both sides of the Atlantic, together with interviews with police officers in London, Debbie Archer builds up a picture of female gang identity, and of the centrality of 'appearance' and 'attitude'. Identity within the female gang, she argues, 'is a way of obtaining respect, marking out territory, and of challenging and fighting other female gangs if necessary'. We are back in the world of oppositional sub-cultures here, and a history that can be traced from punk straight through to hip hop. As the Au Pairs put it in 1981, this is 'playing with a different sex'. Debbie Archer, PhD Candidate, Cambridge University, 1998. Source: The British Criminology Conferences: Selected Proceedings, Vol. 1
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Shattered Dreams: A History of the 1960s Conservative Vice Lords in Pictures and Text
http://gangresearch.net/cvl/cvlhistoryfinal/VLTitlenew2.html
See for yourself the incredible story of the 1960s Conservative Vice Lords who transformed themselves into an organization dedicated to saving the youth in their community... and what stopped them.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Skinhead Street Gangs
http://web.archive.org/web/20030626073957/
http://www.aracnet.com/~lwc123/skinhead.htm
Learn about skinheads' philosophy, clothing, tattoos, music, houses, weapons, and hate targets. How are skinheads associated with the KKK, militia, religious extremists, and Aryan Nations? Learn how they want to take over part of the United States. Should we be concerned about anti-racist skinheads? What can communities do? How can the police prepare for a skinhead march or rally? A web advertisement for a book available in the MSU Library Main Stacks. Check MAGIC for location and call number.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Social Programs to Combat Gangs Seen as More Effective Than Police
Area Officials Advocate Mix of Prevention and Enforcement
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071701716.html/
In a report being issued today, "Gang Wars," the Washington-based institute says it found overwhelming evidence that cities such as New York and suburbs and rural areas that use extensive social resources -- job training, mentoring, after-school activities, recreational programs -- make significant dents in gang violence. Areas that rely heavily on police enforcement, such as Los Angeles, have far less impact. Article by Tom Jackman, Washington Post, July 18, 2007; Page B03
(Last checked 06/01/07)

The South Eastern Connecticut Gang Activities Group (SE-GAG)
http://www.segag.org/
A non-profit, Connecticut Registered, law enforcement association, which by the combined efforts of the law enforcement and criminal justice agencies of South Eastern Connecticut, combats the rise in violent youth and gang activities in the region. Special features of the web site include:

A web directory of gangs operating in Southeast Connecticut,

Hate and Occult Group Information,

Satanism Information, and

Additional Law Enforcement Links
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Specialized Gang Units: Form and Function in Community Policing
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/SpecializedGangUnitsFormFunctionCommunityOct2004.pdf
National Institute of Justice (NIJ), October 2004. This research examined whether community policing and specialized gang units are complementary or conflicting approaches. The research approach consisted of qualitative examination of police department procedures and practices, and extensive field observation of gang personnel.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Steve's Gang Awareness Page for Parents, Educators, and Law Enforcement
http://web.archive.org/web/20040929123109/
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Bluffs/9341/
Features frequently asked questions about gangs. The webmaster, Steven Sachs, has also written a book called Street Gang Awareness available in the MSU Libraries (separate entry below).
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Street Gang Awareness: A Resource Guide for Parents and Professionals.
A book by Steven Sacks available in the MSU Main Library Stacks. Includes frequently asked questions about street gangs.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Street Gang Dynamics
http://gangwar.com/dynamics.htm
A web page by Steve Nawojczyk, Pulaski County Coroner stationed in Little Rock, Arkansas. Includes An Overview of Gangs and Graffiti Interpretation.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Street Gang Migration: How Big a Threat?
http://www.securitymanagement.com/library/000200.html
Online article by Cheryl L. Maxson, Kristi J. Woods, and Malcolm W. Klein, from National Institute of Justice Journal, February 1996.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Street Gangs and Drug Sales in Two Urban Cities
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/strtgang.txt
A NIJ Research in Brief published in September 1995. 24 pages long. The connection between street gangs, drug sales, and violence has been debated in police and academic circles as well as the media. The study assessed the magnitude of gang involvement in cocaine and other drug sales in Pasadena and Pomona, California; compared the characteristics of drug sales incidents involving gangs with the characteristics of drug sales incidents not involving gangs; assessed the generalizability of cocaine-related findings to other drugs, and from urban to more suburban settings; and identified the implications of the research findings for development of law enforcement strategies.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Street Gangs and Interventions: Innovative Problem Solving with Network Analysis
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/cd_rom/solution_gang_crime/pubs/StreetGangsandInterventions.pdf
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), November 2005. This COPS Innovations piece reviews prevention, intervention, suppression, and comprehensive strategies to address this issue of gangs and provides examples of each. It also offers a case study of problem analysis in Newark, New Jersey through the Greater Newark Safer Cities Initiative. This paper discusses the unique utility of network analysis in the resultant problem analysis and emphasizes the important role of an academic research partner. Finally, the piece considers the importance of sustainability with regard to problem analysis.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Streetgangs.Com
Also known as Gangs in Los Angeles County
formerly known as L.A. Gangs
http://www.streetgangs.com/
A collection of information and pictures about Los Angeles gangs from Alejandro A Alonso, PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, University of Southern California; telephone: (310) 287-8303; Email: aalonso@usc.edu; www.soyboricua.com. Also contains extensive links to other gang sites on the web.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

StreetGangs.com Book Club
http://www.streetgangs.com/bookclub/
Welcome to Street Gangs Book Club, an centralized place to gain information on books that discuss urban culture specifically gangs. Frequent visitors of the site can read along as we pic a book of the month that Street Gangs features. There are countless books on the topic of gangs, hip hop, prisons, and the ghetto, but Street Gangs has spent considerable time reading and researching the most informative references for your reading pleasure. You will be able to visit this section and gain access to reliable and most provacative books on the various subjects.
(Last checked 11/23/05)

Student Behavior : Gangs
http://web.archive.org/web/20021213190135/
http://www.middleschool.com/studentbehavior/sb_gangs.html
The Champion Middle School Partnership is pleased to bring you this resource unit on gangs and gang activity in school. This resource unit will provide you with information, tools and links on these topics: (1) The extent and nature of gang activity in communities and schools. (2) Strategies for dealing with gangs in schools and communities. (3) Strategies for discouraging gang membership. (4) Ways to curtail gangs and gang activity in and around the school community. (5) How schools, parents, the police and juvenile justice officials can form partnerships to control gang membership and activity in your community. Still available thanks to the Internet Archive.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Suburban Gangs Go Underground
Available on microfilm in the MSU Main Library Copy Center
A special report by Judy DeHaven from the Detroit News, July 4, 1996.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Suburgan Gangs: The Affluent Rebels (Book Review)
http://www.ifpinc.com/Gangs/default.htm
Available in the MSU Main Library stacks
The first comprehensive book that answers why the dangerous suburban gang trend has occurred, what can be done to address it, and how to stop gangs from forming. This web site includes sample chapters and selected book reviews.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Teens in Gangs
http://www.msu.edu/~mgrp/taylor/index.html
Keeping kids straight is the job of individuals, families, communities. Article by Carl S. Taylor, Michigan State University.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

Texas Gang Investigators Association
http://www.tgia.net/
The Texas Gang Investigators Association was founded in 1991 by a small group of officers charged with the investigation of street gangs and their criminal activities. Today, membership in the TGIA numbers over 1,900 members from all across the state. The TGIA strives to provide training opportunities for its members through regional meetings, quarterly newsletters and its annual training conference. Web site also provides resource links.
(Last checked 06/01/07)

They Call Themselves Five Percenters; The Department of Corrections Calls Them Trouble
http://www.scpronet.com/point/9604/p06.html
Five Percent Nation is a loose-knit religious organization that split from the Nation of Islam in 1964. The group's lack of structure and young members have prompted the South Carolina Department of Corrections to label the group a "security threat," and treat it as a "gang." Briefing by Alex Todorovic, POINT - South Carolina's Independent Newsmonthly, April 1996 .
For more information see Inmates Are Free to Practice Black Supremacist Religion, Judge Rules; Black Muslims Create 'Explosive Mix' in Terr